Darnell Rock Reporting by Walter Dean Myers

DARNELL ROCK IS not the kind of kid who volunteers to write for the newspaper—it sounds too much like homework. But this is Darnell’s last chance to pull himself together and make a positive contribution to his school. At first, Darnell would rather be hanging out with his sister and his friends. But soon he gets interested in the Oakdale Gazette. Much to his surprise, Darnell discovers that people pay attention to the words he writes. Before he knows it, Darnell changes from a kid who can’t do anything right to a person who can make a difference.

Walter Dean Myers is the New York Times bestselling author of the first Michael L. Printz Award winner, Monster, and the current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. He's been writing since he was a child, and he's now considered one of the preeminent authors for young people. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family. You can visit him online at www.walterdeanmyers.net.

Publishers Weekly

When Darnell writes an editorial to suggest that the school turn a parking lot into a garden so that homeless people can grow food there, he attracts the attention of the local press and, ultimately, spurs a debate in the city council (the proposal is defeated, but another garden is established).